Your first site does not need to offer every possible storage size. It is better to provide a few clearly defined options that meet local needs and allow the layout to change. Your choice of units affects pricing, customer numbers and the cost of fitting out the site.
Start with the items to be stored, not a container catalogue
Enquiries about storing boxes, furniture and shop stock reflect different needs. Customers often cannot specify a floor area, but can describe their belongings, dates and how often they will visit. Gather this information before choosing your container mix.
Do not assume one ratio of small to large units will suit every location. An area with service businesses may generate different enquiries from a neighbourhood of small flats. Choose a few sizes you can explain through specific uses.
How to identify the needs of household and business customers
Square metres are only the starting point
Width, depth, height and clear door opening also matter to tenants. A unit with sufficient floor area may not fit a long rigid item, or its entrance may prevent the item from being brought inside. Publish usable internal dimensions, not just the container’s external measurements.
- Show a unit plan with internal dimensions.
- State the actual clear entrance width and height.
- Explain whether there is a threshold at the door.
- Allow for a walkway inside and regular access to goods.
- Distinguish approximate examples of capacity from a guarantee that specific belongings will fit.
For this calculation only, compare four 5 m² units with two 10 m² units. Assume rectangular interiors without obstructions, a usable internal height of 2.4 m and one door per unit. All dimensions are hypothetical net internal dimensions, not figures from a manufacturer’s catalogue.
| What you compare | 4 smaller units | 2 larger units |
|---|---|---|
| Floor dimensions of one unit | 2 × 2.5 m | 2.5 × 4 m |
| Floor area of one unit | 2 × 2.5 = 5 m² | 2.5 × 4 = 10 m² |
| Geometric volume of one unit | 5 × 2.4 = 12 m³ | 10 × 2.4 = 24 m³ |
| Total net floor area | 4 × 5 = 20 m² | 2 × 10 = 20 m² |
| Total geometric volume | 4 × 12 = 48 m³ | 2 × 24 = 48 m³ |
| Doors in the assumed layout | 4 | 2 |
In both options, 48 m³ is the volume of the empty interiors, not a guarantee that particular belongings will fit. Do not promise that a unit will hold the contents of a home of a given floor area either: the number of items, packing and whether they can be stacked all matter. If in doubt, compare dimensions. The 20 m² net floor area does not determine partition thickness, structural design, external dimensions or the space needed for the site and access routes. Four doors instead of two is a feature of this assumed layout, not a cost estimate or evidence of higher revenue. This example is neither a technical design nor a recommended mix of unit sizes.
Check subdivision options
Modules with several independent entrances can provide smaller units within one structure. KOVOBEL presents solutions for self-storage facilities, while Janus describes outdoor modules with different door configurations. Confirm the available subdivisions for the specific product you choose. [KOVOBEL — using containers for self-storage] [Janus International Europe — MASS and Vault outdoor units]
Ask about making changes later. A removable partition does not necessarily mean every unit is easy to reconfigure: doors, locks and how the components connect all matter. Ask for drawings of the initial and final configurations if flexibility is an important part of your plan.
How to specify unit subdivisions in an enquiry to a manufacturer
Compare revenue and additional costs
Subdividing a large unit may increase the number of customers who can afford a smaller space. It also means more doors, security equipment, contracts and transactions. Do not automatically assume that more small units will always deliver a better result.
| What to record | Why |
|---|---|
| Enquiries for each size | To base the offer on identified needs. |
| Price after discounts | To compare actual revenue. |
| Cost of a finished unit | To include doors, partitions and security. |
| Vacancy periods | To see which sizes are harder to let. |
| Cost of changing the layout | To assess flexibility for the next phase. |
When comparing sizes, look at revenue both per unit and per square metre of usable space. A lower total rent for a small unit does not necessarily mean a lower price per square metre. What matters is a clear offer that meets local demand.
Adapt the next phase to your results
After opening, record not only rentals but also enquiries you turn down because the requested size is unavailable. A list of these lost enquiries helps you decide what to add. High overall site occupancy can conceal that one type of unit is letting much more slowly.
Start with a mix you can justify. Then use data from your own facility to make changes. This way, expansion responds to customers rather than just to the products available in a supplier’s catalogue.
Sources
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